Last year when I was doing Colorado Trail Segment 7, I
had the honor to run through part of the old Camp Hale and see the
memorials to the fallen heroes of the famous 10th Mountain Division on
Hwy. 24 at Tennessee Pass. I did a separate entry about these brave men
and women in the 2006 journal on August 8, exactly a year ago. There are
lots of photos of Camp Hale as it was and as it is now, and information
about the Division.
This past weekend there was a national reunion for
current members of the Division, living World War II veterans, and their
families. Because many of the veterans are now in their 80s and 90s, and
so many have died since they were on active duty, we heard on the news
that this is the last time the older veterans will attend the reunion.
We are glad they had the opportunity to meet one more time and share
stories with their younger counterparts, who I'm sure are inspired by
these heroes.
We all should be inspired by them.
We rarely get into "politics" in this journal, but this
news item just reminds us of how proud we are to live in this
country. Despite all of our local and national problems, there isn't any
other place where Jim and I would want to live.
I just finished reading the book by
Walter Isaacson about Benjamin Franklin and the huge role he played in
shaping all the major founding documents of this country. Jim's reading
David McCullough's "1776," which is next on my reading list. It's
so interesting to read about all the events that led to the formation of
our country and the compromises
back in the 1700s that resulted in the government and laws that we still have today
(with modifications, of course).
Our history really is amazing, and I appreciate it more now than I ever
did when I was studying it in high school!
As I get older -- and since I'm married to an Army and
National Guard veteran -- I also increasingly appreciate the freedoms we
have and the sacrifices so many men and women have made to KEEP us free.
We aren't thrilled about the situation in Iraq, but we certainly support
our troops. We hope they will all come home soon. One of Jim's sons is
due to be shipped back to Iraq in early September. We wish he didn't have to
go. This is a very personal issue for us and our hearts go out to others
who also have loved ones serving in dangerous places in the armed services.
Peace and happy trails to all,
Sue
"Runtrails & Company" - Sue Norwood, Jim O'Neil, Cody, and
Tater
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© 2007 Sue Norwood and Jim O'Neil